from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
dead code
infeasible path
<programming> (Or "infeasible path", "{grunge}") Any part of a
program that can never be accessed because all calls to it
have been removed, or because it is guarded by a control
structure that provably must always transfer control somewhere
else. The presence of dead code may reveal either logical
errors due to alterations in the program or significant
changes in the assumptions and environment of the program (see
also {software rot}); a good compiler should report dead code
so a maintainer can think about what it means. Sometimes it
simply means that an *extremely* defensive programmer has
inserted {can't happen} tests which really can't happen - yet.
Synonym {grunge}.
[{Jargon File}]
(1996-05-22)